So long as humankind endeavors to play video games on PCs, it is the everlasting query: What’s my body charge, in frames per second (fps)? We wish to know as a result of we spent all this cash on our {hardware}. Though a recreation would possibly really feel fluid, we wish to know the precise quantity. For instance, if we’re proper at 50fps, we would flip down some settings to bump it to 60fps. If we’re at 120fps, it will carry a smile to our faces, figuring out we spent our cash correctly.
To search out out what your in-game body charge is, you possibly can deploy a wide range of free utilities. All of them have pluses and minuses, however all of them work nicely and can allow you to get pleasure from your PC video games, figuring out precisely what sort of efficiency you are getting.
Xbox Recreation Bar
That is simple to attempt because it’s probably already put in in your system in the event you’re working Home windows 10 or 11, which is sort of all PC players. All it’s a must to do to make use of it’s press Home windows Key + G, and you will see it seem on the high of your display.

Do not let the “Xbox” within the title idiot you; the Recreation Bar may be very helpful for PC gaming.
Credit score: Microsoft
From there, you simply must click on the Efficiency tab, which is indicated with a PC monitor and a line graph, and a window seems asking what you wish to monitor in actual time. You possibly can toggle numerous choices for reminiscence, CPU, and GPU utilization—and, in fact, frames per second. As soon as you choose what you wish to view, you possibly can reduce the applet simply to point out 4 stats: CPU/GPU/Reminiscence use and fps.

The Xbox Recreation Bar options loads of helpful monitoring choices.
Credit score: Microsoft
As soon as your settings are in place, you possibly can transfer the tiny window wherever on-screen or dock it to both aspect of your show. You will want to have a recreation working to see frames per second, however in the event you run it throughout common Home windows operation, you need to use it to watch your CPU and reminiscence utilization. As soon as a recreation runs, the FPS indicator lights up like a Christmas tree.
Steam Overlay
Everybody’s favourite service for downloading video games now features a built-in fps monitor, however spoiler alert—it is so tiny that it may be laborious to learn on high-resolution panels. To allow it, you have to open Steam, go to the phrase “Steam” on the high, and choose Settings.

Valve does not supply a ton of choices aside from utilizing a high-contrast shade, which you must use because the default gray is type of dim.
Credit score: Valve Software program
From there, simply scroll right down to “In-Recreation, ” be aware the “In-game FPS counter” choice on the middle-right, and switch it on. Whenever you hearth up a recreation, you will see a teeny, tiny fps counter within the upper-right-hand nook. Professional tip: allow the high-contrast choice to make it stand out extra.

Allow the high-contrast overlay for higher visibility.
Credit score: Valve Software program
Nvidia GeForce Expertise
You probably have an Nvidia GPU, you have to obtain the elective GeForce Expertise software program to get an in-game overlay. You will want to register an e-mail tackle with Nvidia to make use of it, which is annoying, however the firm says it is because your data is saved within the cloud and will be transferred to any system while you log in. We do not prefer it both, however we use the Shadowplay software program to document recreation clips, so to us, it is definitely worth the minor annoyance. Additionally, be aware that you need to use the Xbox Recreation Bar to document your gaming clips, so Shadowplay is not as crucial because it was once.

GeForce Expertise provides a helpful in-game overlay.
Credit score: Nvidia
As soon as put in, open GeForce Expertise and click on the “gear” icon on the high of the principle web page. From there, scroll down barely to “In-Recreation Overlay” and click on “Settings.” You may see a number of choices for gadgets included within the overlay.

Toggling the body counter is so simple as choosing it and selecting a nook of your panel for it.
Credit score: Nvidia
The one one we’re interested by right here is the “fps” setting, so click on that after which click on the place you wish to seem on-screen. Notice in the event you select both of the decrease left- or right-side choices, it’s going to seem in Home windows and make the system tray or Home windows button tough to make use of.

The GeForce Expertise fps overlay comes solely in firm inexperienced, which makes it simple to learn at a look.
Credit score: Nvidia
Radeon Overlay
Homeowners of AMD GPUs can even allow a customizable overlay that shows numerous metrics in-game. All it’s a must to do to allow it’s right-click your desktop and select the choice on the high: AMD Radeon Software program. It is put in together with your GPU drivers, so it will already be enabled in your PC.

The Radeon Adrenalin software program offers a smorgasbord of choices and metrics to trace.
Credit score: AMD
The software program will open from there, and you have to click on “Efficiency” on the high. This can help you toggle the overlay on/off and select which metrics you want to be tracked. AMD offers many choices right here—greater than with every other utility—and you can too use a slider to regulate the polling interval for the way usually the metric is measured. When you allow “fps,” you possibly can shut the menu. When you’re in-game, press Ctrl+Shift+O to toggle the efficiency overlay. Due to Graya Overload on YouTube for the screenshot on this one.
MSI Afterburner
MSI Afterburner is the OG as a result of it’s been used to watch all types of system-related metrics for a few years. Although it’s a must to soar by way of just a few small hoops to allow it, it permits you to monitor virtually each worth possible out of your total system, so it’s broadly seen as a useful device for monitoring your gaming efficiency. First, obtain it, and be aware you’ll even have to put in RivaStatistics, which is included within the package deal. As soon as it’s working, open it up, and also you’ll see your GPU being monitored.

You possibly can select from a number of totally different skins.
Credit score: MSI
Click on the “gear” icon within the decrease center, then navigate to “monitoring.” This part will be tough as a result of you possibly can choose a worth within the endless menu of choices, however simply choosing it received’t put it on the on-screen show, or OSD. So select an choice similar to “framerate” (famous by the verify mark that seems) after which be sure the field under labeled “present in On-Display Show” can be checked.

You possibly can select from a ton of choices to watch, together with fps in fact.
Credit score: MSI
Should you’ve finished it accurately, the subsequent time you hearth up a recreation, the values you chose seem within the higher left-hand nook of your recreation in easy-to-read textual content.

The overlay is simple to learn and you can also make it as exhaustive or easy as you like.
Credit score: MSI
Conclusion
These are the best choices to make use of immediately for monitoring your in-game fps, however the selection is as much as you. There isn’t any single “greatest” choice, so attempt all of them out and see which one you like. Should you simply need your fps, Steam’s overlay is the simple choice, assuming your recreation is even on Steam. If you need extra data, the Xbox Recreation Bar is unobtrusive and customizable, making it one other nice choice. Homeowners of Nvidia and AMD GPUs would possibly want to experiment with their producers’ choices, as each are helpful. Nonetheless, if you would like a brand-agnostic device that may additionally monitor a ton of CPU and GPU metrics, it’s laborious to beat MSI Afterburner.